NEWS

Join us at NADA Conference 2020: Enhancing connections, to be held on 4–5 June in Sydney. This conference will attract delegates from across NSW, the broader Australian alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment sector and other health and human services. Showcasing interventions designed to improve outcomes for clients, this event will inform with new ideas, engage with the evidence base and provide networking opportunities.

Registrations are now open

Earlybird ends 31 March 2020.

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Announcing keynote speakers

Paul Barry is a graduate of politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University. He is one of Australia’s most respected journalists. Paul’s films for ABC TV’s Four Corners won every major award in the field and he is the author of several best sellers. He is the presenter of ABC TV’s Media Watch, Australia’s leading forum for media analysis and critique. Media Watch exposes conflicts of interest, journalistic deceit, misrepresentation, manipulation and plagiarism.

Paul’s keynote will explore AOD, stigma and the media and discuss practical ways for working with the media.

Dr Stephen Bright has worked as a psychologist in the AOD and mental health sectors for the past 20 years and he’s currently Senior Lecturer of Addiction at Edith Cowan University. Stephen has published papers on psychotherapy, psychometrics, brief interventions, drug policy, emerging drug trends, AOD use among older adults, psychedelics and AOD in the media. He is responsible for the development of AOD Media Watch.

Stephen will be part of the panel about AOD and the media, providing his insights into this important topic. He will also be presenting on psychedelics and how they relate to AOD treatment and support.

Jenny Valentish is a journalist and author of Woman of Substances: A journey into addiction and treatment which blends research and memoir, and was long-listed for a Walkley Book Award. Jenny is a board director of SMART Recovery Australia, an ambassador for Monash University’s BrainPark, a core member of AOD Media Watch and a consultant for several other AOD organisations. Jenny regularly writes about drug use and treatment for The Age, Guardian and the ABC.

In her keynote, Jenny will share her experiences of drug treatment and discuss how services can safely help clients express their stories. Jenny will also be part of the panel about AOD and the media.

 

Dr Karen Urbanoski is a scientist with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and Assistant Professor in Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria. She holds the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Substance Use, Addictions and Health Services Research. Her research focuses on substance use related conditions, and the roles played by health and social service systems in recovery.

Karen’s presentation will discuss pathways to AOD treatment and ways services can enhance access among the population in need.

Daryl Chow, MA, Ph.D. (Psych) is a practicing psychologist and trainer. He is a senior associate of the International Center for Clinical Excellence (ICCE) working closely with Scott Miller. Daryl is the author of The First Kiss: Undoing the intake model and igniting first sessions in psychotherapy, and a co-author with Scott Miller and Mark Hubble, of a highly anticipated book, Better Results: Using deliberate practice to improve therapeutic effectiveness.

Daryl’s keynote will explore why people disengage from treatment so early and ways to increase engagement with clients’ right from the first session to reduce dropout rates and achieve better outcomes.

 

Abstracts are now open

NADA invites abstract submissions for oral papers, workshops, panel presentations and poster presentations. Abstracts must be submitted by Friday 9 March February 2020 at 5pm AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time). No extensions to the deadline will be granted.